San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-10-06
The Saloons and the Sunday Law.

Galveston News.
The News has heretofore called at
tention to the Importance Of enforc-
ing the state laws relating to the L.
quor traffic. The subject is not new
either to the public or to the officials
who are charged with the e-daty Of en-
forcing the laws. The pertinency Of
again referring to it is due to the re-
cent fragrant violations Of the Sun
day law by a number Of the retail IL
liquor dealers Of this city. On Sun
day last number Of the most prom.
inently located saloons in the city
made no pretensions of suspending
business, but kept oil Of their doors
open to the public, and the executive
officers must have closed their eyes
il they failed to observe the lively
traffic at the bars. For time after
the new Sunday law went into effect
there was a show made of enforcing
it, and the Sunday customers of the
saloons were in the main quietly ad-
mitted through the back doors This
was of course illegal but less offens.
i've because less glaring. Evasions
or secret violations OF the laws are
bad enough, but are not SO injurious
in their effect upon social order as
were the examples Of open defiance
to legal authority that were present
ed by the liquor dealers who kept
open saloons last Sunday. In either
case the local officers are reprehensi-
BILE for their neglect of duty in the
premises. At best the liquor traffic
involves many Objectionable features.
It is sanctioned by the sovereign au-
thority only because it can thus be
regulated, and because a policy Of
suppression would be impractlcable
and productive of greater evils. But
if the saloon influence is to become
factor of opposition to legal authority
and sufficiently potent as such to
overawe the officers and bid defiance
to the moral sentiment that sustains
the restrictive laws relating to the
traffic, the advocates of prohibition
will have stronger arguments in favor
Of their policy should the prohibition
issue again arise. The purpose Of
The News, however, is not 80 much
to deal with the saloon-keepers. The
matter of greatest concern to the
public is the failure Of the officers to
discharge their duty. The law pro-
vides ample penalties for compelling
liquor dealers to observe its prous-
ions, and when they fail to do so the
fault is with the civil officers who foil
in the duty of imposing those penal
ties. Every person elected or ap-
pointed to Office takes an oath to
faithfully and impartially perform his
duty. This oath is a very solemn
and serious matter-the highest obli-
cation known to civil institutions. 1t
il not easy to understand how officers
who take such oaths can remain on
friendly terms with their consciences
while winking at open and defiant
violations of law. Liquor dealers are
entitled to the full protection of the
laws, but the civil authorities should
make it a point to see that they shall
also be required to obey them. This
has already been too long neglected.
The practice of assessing nominal
fines has been but method Of licen-
sing lawlessness. It is time for the
proper officers to suppress the Sun
day saloon business. 1t can only be
done by imposing fines that will rem
der it Improbable. This should be
done. 1t is to be hoped that the
shameful spectacle Of open defiance
to the laws relating to the liquor
traffic will not again be presented in
Galveston.